A ceremony was held today to celebrate the planting of  the seedling No. (100,000) of mangrove trees in the Ras Al Mutla area, south of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The ceremony was held under the patronage of the National Security Advisor, Supreme Defence Council Secretary General and Royal Guard Commander Lieutenant General His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

The BDF Royal Guard carried out the ceremony in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, as part of the national afforestation plan (Green Bahrain).

Lt. Gen. HH Shaikh Nasser was received on arrival by the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Oil and Environment Minister, Special Envoy for Climate Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Daina, Works Minister Ibrahim bin Hassan Al Hawaj, Cabinet Affairs Minister Hamad bin Faisal Al Malki and other officials.

Hh Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad toured a photo gallery documenting the stages of cultivation of the mangrove oasis in the Ras Al Mutla area in Southern Bahrain.

He watched a brief film about the stages of cultivation, which included 100,000 seedlings that were planted in several stages, including leveling and preparing the land.

Marine channels were set up and berms built to prepare the site as one of the main habitats for birds, marine organisms and wildlife in the Southern Governorate, as part of the national program to multiply mangroves by 400% in the year 2035.

HH Shaikh Nasser then planted the 100,000th mangrove seedling, as the project aims to preserve marine life and ecosystem balance due to the great and effective benefits of these plants in combating climate change.

He noted that the project is part of efforts to achieve the goals of the comprehensive and sustainable development march led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

He hailed the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Prime Minister, for the national plan for afforestation aimed at doubling the number of trees in the Kingdom of Bahrain, increasing the green area and achieving environmental balance.

He stressed Bahrain's commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2035 and reaching zero neutrality in 2060, which was launched at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), which was translated into a number of initiatives from Including the expansion of the cultivation of mangroves.

HH Shaikh Nasser hailed the directives of the BDF Commander in Chief Field Marshall Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa to harness all efforts to ensure the success of the vital eco-project.

He described the ambitious program as a key milestone in Bahrain, stressing the importance of mitigating the effects of climate change in a symbiotic manner at all levels.

He highlighted the need to provide an incubating environment for many fish and marine life, and for birds, especially migratory birds that are abundant in the Kingdom of Bahrain and that feed on shrimp that live and are raised in the area rich in mangroves.

The ceremony was also attended by the Royal Guard Deputy Commander Major-General Hamad Khalifa Alnoaimi and other invitees.